Safety razor with adjustable guard



April 18, 1967 R. l.. KARR 3,314,147

SAFETY RAZOR WITH ADJUSTABLE GUARD Filed sept. 29, 1965 fda/' 1509', /f +7* 57. Ji 6141, WM #4W-y Arme/wry. l

United States Patent O 3,314,147 SAFETY RAZOR WITH ADJUSTABLE GUARD Robert L. Karr, 1915 Winslow Ave., Terre Haute, Ind. 47805 Filed Sept. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 491,197 6 Claims. (Cl. Sil-60.5)

This invention relates to a safety razor, and more particularly to an adjustable safety razor for use with double edged blades.

It is an object of the invention to provide a safety razor which can be easily adjusted for adjusting the blade edge exposure, which can effect such adjustment without changing the blade angle, .and which can be quickly and easily manipulated for cleaning and blade changing.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, .there is provided a handle fixedly connected to a first plate adapted to support a conventional double edged razor blade. A second plate is operatively supported on the handle in lspaced relation to said first plate, and means are provided on the handle for movement of said second plate toward and away from said first plate. A spring is interposed between said first and second plates to urge them in spaced relation with respect to each other and is provided with a pair of guards projecting laterally outwardly from between a pair of opposed edges on said first and second plates to support the edges of the blade. Thus, movement of the second plate With yrespect to the first plate will cause the springto move the guards outwardly or inwardly with respect to said pair of plates for adjusting the exposure of the blade edges.

A blade guide extends longitudinally of the rst plate locating the blade thereon. Said guide is connected -at its ends to a pair of pivot bars disposed at the ends of the razor and pivotally supporting a pair of opposed cover plates movablebetween an operative position overlying the first plate for holding the blade thereon -and -a retracted position projecting upwardly from said first plate. Means are provided on the handle for effecting movement of the blade guide and pivot bars with respect to the first and second plates for moving the pivotal connections of the cover plates to said pivot bars. Each of the cover plates is provided with crank means engageable with the guards to cause the cover plates to move between their operative and retractive positions upon such movement of the pivot bars with respect to the first and second plates.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which folf lows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG, 1 is an end elevation of a razor embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged end elevation of the razor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical -section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

As shown, the razor comprises an elongated handle xedly connected at its upper end to a rectangular plate 12 having a slightly arcuate cross-section. The upper end of the handle has a reduced diameter neck 13, and a collar 14 is threadedly mounted on said neck. The collar 14 supports a rectangular plate 16 having -a slightly arcuate cross-section and provided with an opening 17 for reception of the handle neck 13. The plates 12 and 16 have corresponding crosssectional areas to dispose their longitudinal edges in `alignment with e-ach other.

A corrugated spring 18 having a centrally disposed open-I ICC ing 19 for reception of the handle neck 13 is interposed between the plates 12 and 16 with its longitudinally extending corrugations bearing against the adjacent plate faces to thus urge the plate 16 downwardly with respect to the plate 12 against the collar 14. A pair of guards 22 are mounted on the opposed longitudinal edges of the spring 18 and project laterally outwardly from between the plates 12 and 16 to support the cutting edges of a conventional razor blade 24 carried on the plate 12. The guards project longitudinally beyond the ends of the plates 12 and 16, and, as shown in FIG. 3, have their outeredges rounded and their outer faces shouldered, as at 2S.

Thus, rotation of the collar 14 to move it upwardly on the handle 10 forces the plate 16 upwardly against the spring 18 and, because of its corrugated configuration, this upward plate movement causes the spring to expand to force the guards 22 farther outwardly from between the plates 12 and 16 and thus reduce the amount that the blade cutting edges are exposed. Conversely, rotation of the collar 14 downwardly upon the handle 10 permits the plate 16 to be moved farther -away from the plate 12 under the biasing action of the spring 18. As the spring thus contracts, it will pull the guards 22 inwardly to thus increase the exposure of the cutting edges of the blade.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plate 12 is provided at its opposed ends with pairs of downwardly projecting guides 26 slidably received in slots 28 formed in the ends of the plate 16 for guiding the adjusting movements of the plate 16 and holding the pair of plates in alignment with each other. Conveniently, circumferentially spaced indicia 30 are provided on the outer face of the collar 14 and register with a reference boss 32 on the bottom face of the plate 16 for measuring the lateral displacement of the guards 22 with respect to the plates 12 and 16.

The handle 10 is provided with an axially extending opening 35 in which an elongated shaft 36 is rotatably carried. Said shaft is threadably connected to the handle, Ias at 37, and is provided at its lower end with an adjustment knob 38, whereby rotation of said knob will cause theshaft 36 to move vertically with respect to the handle 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end of the shaft 36 is provided with an annular groove 40 in which inwardly directed flanges 42 on a pair of opposed mating clamps 44 are received. Said clamps project upwardly from the shaft 36 on opposite sides of a blade guide 46 and are iixedly connected to said guide by a pin 48. As shown in FIG. 3, the plate 12 is provided with 4an opening 20 for reception of the clamps 44, and the guide 46 projects upwardly above said plate and extends longitudinally thereof for reception in the central slot of the blade 24 for locating said blade on the plate. A pair of downwardly and outwardly projecting arms 47 at the ends of the guide are slidably carried in slots 419 in plates 12 and 16 and in slots 50 in the spring 18 to help guide the movements of the plate 16 and spring with respect to the plate 12 as well as the movements of the guide.

The arms 47 are connected to a pair of pivot bars 54 disposed outwardly from the ends of the plates 12 and 16. Each of the pivot bars 54 is connected by pins 56 to the adjacent ends of a pair of opposed cover plates 58. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover plates are provided at their opposed ends with downwardly projecting cranks; each comprising a Vertical arm 59 through which one of the pins 56 extends and an outwardly projecting horizontal arm 60 receivable under an adjacent guard 22. Thus,

rotation of the knob 38 to move the shaft 36 downwardly as viewed in FIG. 3 causes the guide 46 and pivot bars 54- to move downwardly pulling the cover plates 58 downwardly into an operative position against the blade 24 for retaining said blade in a fixed position on the plate 12.

In this operative position, the adjacent ends of the cover plates 58 will be disposed around the guide 46 projecting upwardly through the central blade opening. Rotation of the knob 38 to move the guide 46 and pivot bars 54 upwardly as viewed in FIG. 3 raises the pivot pins 56 in a like direction to cause the crank arms 60 `to engage the guards 22. With the crank arms 60 engaging the guards 22, further upward movement of the pivot bars will cause the cover plates 58 to swing upwardly and outwardly into their retracted positions as shown in dotted line in FIG. 2 to permit removal of the blade 24 and/or cleaning of the razor.

To insert a new blade into the razor, it is merely necessary to move the cover plates 58 into their retracted position and lay the new blade on the plate 12 with the guide 46 projecting upwardly through the central blade opening. The knob 38 is then rotated to pull the guide 46 and pivot bars 54 downwardly whereupon the crank arms 60 engage the guards 22 to swing the cover plates inwardly over the blade. Further downward movement of the pivot bars 54 pulls said cover plates downwardly into binding engagement with the upper face of `the blade for releasably locking it in position on the plate 12. Any desired adjustment of the blade edge exposure can then be effected by merely `rotating the collar 14.

I claim:

1. A safety razor, comprising a handle fixedly connected to a first plate, a second plate operatively supported on said handle and movable toward and away from said first plate, guard means interposed between said plates and having guard elements movable inwardly and outwardly along a pair of opposed sides of said plates upon movement of said second plate with respect to said first plate, means for moving said second plate relative to said rst plate, and means releasably retaining a blade on said first plate with its cutting edges overlying said guard means.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that cooperating means are provided on said plates for guiding the movements of said second plate with respect to the first plate.

3. A safety razor, comprising a handle fixedly connected to a first plate, a second plate operatively supported on said handle and movable ytoward and away from said first plate, spring means interposed between said plates urging said second plate away from said first plate and urging a pair of guards along its sides to move inwardly and outwardly between said plates along a pair of their opposed sides upon movement of said second plate with respect to said first plate, means on said handle for moving the second plate with respect to the first plate for adjusting the positioning of the guards with respect to the sides of said plates, and means overlying said first plate for leasably retaining a blade on said first plate with its cutting edges overlying said guards.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in which said spring means comprises a. corrugated spring bearing against said plates, and said guards are mounted along a pair of opposed edges of said spring.

5. A safety razor, comprising a handle fixedly connected `to a first plate, a second plate operatively supported on said handle and movable toward and away from said first plate, guard means interposed between said plates and having a pair of guard elements projecting beyond the ends of said plates and movable inwardly and outwardly along a pair of opposed sides of said plate upon movement of said second plate with respect to said first plate, means for moving said second plate relative to said first plate, a pair of cover plates pivotally connected to a pair of pivot bars and having cranks engageable with said guard elements, means for moving said pivot bars with respect to guard elements to cause said cranks to engage said guard elements for moving said cover plates between an operative position overlying said first plate and a retracted position angled outwardly from said first plate.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5 in which said means for moving said second plate relative to said first plate comprises a collar threadably mounted on said handle and engageable with .the face of the second plate remote from the first plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,427,686 8/1922 Jaccard 30-73 X 1,526,173 2/1925 Newman 30-73 2,325,794 8/1943 OMealey 3071 2,804,685 9/1957 Peters 30-73 2,866,264 12/1958 Hightower 30-73 FOREIGN PATENTS 541,751 6/1957 Canada.

774,749 9/1934 France.

789,077 8/1935 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examine-r.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner. 

1. A SAFETY RAZOR, COMPRISING A HANDLE FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO A FIRST PLATE, A SECOND PLATE OPERATIVELY SUPPORTED ON SAID HANDLE AND MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FIRST PLATE, GUARD MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND HAVING GUARD ELEMENTS MOVABLE INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY ALONG A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID PLATES UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND PLATE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST PLATE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND PLATE RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST PLATE, AND MEANS RELEASABLY RETAINING A BLADE ON SAID FIRST PLATE WITH ITS CUTTING EDGES OVERLYING SAID GUARD MEANS. 